Clay Cane is a New York City-based writer who is recognized for his contributions in journalism. Clay is a regular contributor for various print and online publications such as The Advocate and BET.com. He is the author of the highly anticipated novel Ball-Shaped World, which is a fictionalized account of the black and Latino ballroom scene. Also, he is the Entertainment Editor at BET.com and a member of New York Film Critics Online.
He can be reached at claycane@gmail.com.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Happy Memorial Day, the day where we honor those who have died in military service. While some black folks think Memorial Day is a white thing, what many people do not know about Memorial Day is according to many historians the day was first celebrated "in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston, SC." That is one of those tidbits people leave out in history. Here are some details from Samuel Williams, Jr. with the L.A. Watts Times:

"Many of the Southland’s African American workforce relish Memorial Day as a much-needed day off and the start of a shortened workweek. Little do they know that the holiday finds its roots trenched deep in the annals of black American history.

According to Yale University history department professor David Blight, the first Memorial Day was actually observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at an historic racetrack in Charleston, S.C.

The site was previously used as a Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died while prisoners of war.

Although the date was not specified, one day, thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers conducted a parade on the way to the site. Once there, the participants had a picnic and shared in the singing of patriotic songs."You know they were doing the cakewalk and singing, "Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, 'cause massa's gone away!"